Ron Mason

Ron Mason Sr. is a respected Yuin Elder from the Far South Coast of New South Wales, whose lifelong commitment to his sea-country, family and law has earned him deep community regard. Raised west of Bodalla in a bark-hut beside the river, he learnt early from his parents how to hunt, gather and live on Country. His childhood was spent following his family’s work along the coast, and his current standing as fisherman, diver and cultural custodian reflect a life learning from the land and sea.

In the early 1980s, Ron Mason and fellow Yuin man Norm Patten challenged looming restrictions on lobster harvesting in what became a landmark case for Indigenous fishing rights. Although the court did not rule in their favour at that time, the case has since been seen as a foundational moment in the struggle for native title and the right to gather for family and community. As Mason himself has said: “I went and bought a licence… I was catching them to sell and give everyone a feed, like we used to.” Numerous articles have been published on the Mason/Patten case and are regularly referenced in Indigenous legal rights scholarship.

Beyond litigation, Ron is known for his generosity, his deep understanding of Country, his leadership among younger fishers, and his unshaken attitude when threatened with enforcement. “My law has always been there,” he told ABC in 2021, “I would never give that away.” His work continues to resonate as Yuin people reclaim, assert and protect their rights to fish, dive and gather as their ancestors did.